Father's Day
by Ohmega- ThEND
Summary: The sequal to Quid Pro Quo. A friend returns, secrets are revealed and someone's having Daddy issues... and this time, it's NOT Raven! For more info, RXR Just added the final chapter!
1. Intruder

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans (No matter how much I wish I did) it's not gonna happen. While all OC's are mine, all other characters are the property of Warner Brothers (No Fair)**

_*The sequal to Quid Pro Quo; this story takes place a few days after the introduction (and overly dramatic exit) of Terra. I hope everyone likes it; if you enjoyed the twists, turns, cliffhangers, and shocks of __Quid Pro Quo__ then you're gonna love this! (Hopefully…)_

It's after midnight in Jump City. The full moon is out floating over the sleeping buildings, the sky is clear and peaceful, and everything is at rest. Somberly, the giant 'T'- which, at the moment, stood for _tired_- rested on its island in silence, allowing its heroic inhabitants to sleep in piece. The entire tower was still as the Teen Titans rested and recharged for another day of heroism in the morning; not a soul was stirring… but then, Raven suddenly shot out of bed- awakened by a suspicious stirring down the hall.

Cautiously, she cracked open her door, looked around the abandoned hallway, and then poked her head out- curiously trying to determine where the sound had come from. As she continued to look around, she realized that the suspicious sound had ceased. Shrugging it off, she sleepily turned back into her room and proceeded to return to her bed, but then, she heard the noise a second time- even louder than before. Now determined to find out what had disrupted her deep slumber, Raven grabbed her cloak and ventured out into the dark hall. At first glance, there appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone was sound asleep in their rooms and nothing in the tower seemed to be out of place; little did Raven know that as she patrolled the halls, someone else was also wide awake. Slowly, she continued to creep down the hall, preparing to give up on her search, but then, out of nowhere, a light flicked on at the end of the hallway.

In the light, Raven spotted a shadow, ominously moving around in the light; alert, she studied the shadow's movements, and then she heard a loud rushing noise! An intruder was in the tower! Powers ready, she continued to inch down the hall until she was a few feet away from the door way, with the shadow still moving in the corner of her eye, she rushed into the room and attacked! "DUDE!" responded the victim as he quickly pulled up his pants in embarrassment. Equally embarrassed and slightly annoyed, Raven stared at Beast Boy as he continued to rant about how impossible it had become to simply relieve one's self in the middle of the night. "What were you trying to do anyway?" he yawned irritably.

"There's someone in the tower," said Raven, her back turned away from Beast Boy allowing him to fix his wedgie in privacy. "I don't know who and I'm not sure where, but there _is _someone here…" her eyes studied the tower, shifting from one direction to another.

"Yeah, I'll bet that's what you were thinking when you rushed in here- without KNOCKING!" yelled Beast Boy. "I'm going back to bed," he yawned as he began walking towards the door. As he moved forward, Raven noticed another shadow- this time, a _really _suspicious one- creeping down the hall. "From the looks of it, you could use some slee-"

"Shh!" said Raven, slamming her hand against his mouth. "There _is _someone here."

Cautiously, the two slipped out of the bathroom and looked around the halls. They then split up and continued to search. Walking down the west wing, Beast Boy looked into the rooms of his friends. Jealous, he listened to the content snoring of Cyborg (and Starfire), and continued to walk, angrily mumbling to himself. As he continued to walk, he openly let out another loud yawn; but as he stopped and stretched, he felt an odd change in the once still air, brushing past his body. Quickly he turned his head- expecting to see Raven- but in fact he saw just the opposite: standing right in front of the window was a sleek black silhouette- posed as if preparing to attack! "Who are you and what are you doing in my house at like three in the morning?" yelled Beast Boy. "Don't you have your _own_ place to slee- OW!" he cried as the ominous silhouette stepped on his foot in an attempt to escape.

Instantly, Raven heard her friend's cry from the other side of the tower. She began to run to his aid, but then, she too spotted the silhouette as it swiftly sped down the hall. Intently, she sounded the alarm and woke her other friends. Within seconds, the whole team was awake and ready to attack. "Titans Go!" yelled Robin as he and the others began to pursue the intruder. However, it seemed that while the Teen Titans _were_ fast, the evasive shadow was even faster! With ease, the intruder slipped past an angry green gorilla, and effortlessly eluded every starbolt that came its way. As the shadow sprinted down another hallway, the intruder slid past Raven- for the third time- and dove through one of her force fields at the last minute. Once out of Raven's range, the silhouette blindly dodged a blast from Cyborg's sonic cannon.

"Only fare to warn you, I'm not a happy person when I don't get my beauty rest!" he bellowed, aiming the cannon at the intruder again. Quickly he fired, only to miss- narrowly- for a second time. Angered, Cyborg charged at the slick shadow and began to throw punches. Mockingly, his opponent spun and dodged every blow, then- in response to an anticipated (and weak) left hook- the shadow placed its hands over Cyborg's fist, and stared at him briefly before flipping over his shoulder and dashing further down the hall. After easily eluding the first four titans, the shadow turned the corner and continued running. Suddenly, there was a shrill whirring sound, followed by a loud grunt as an iconic birdarang slashed the intruder's arm. Clenching the wound in pain, the shadow quickly spun around and looked ahead to see the leader of the Teen Titans standing at the head of the hall.

"Don't know how you got in here," he growled, pulling out his bo staff. "But I know how you're getting out!" Unfazed by the threat, the silhouette arrogantly stood its ground and released the bleeding wound. Deliberately, Robin charged towards the intruder who quickly followed suit. The two began to fight; an intense battle ensued as the entire upper level rang with, the echoing growls, grunts and thuds of the two combatants. The other titans all stood and watched apprehensively as Robin continued to duel the mysterious attacker. However, while Robin continued to deliver numerous blows with intended pain, his opponent repeatedly blocked and dodged every attack; flipping and jumping around him as if it was a game. "Who are you!" barked Robin as he attempted to deliver a punch to the shadow's face.

The silhouette eluded the attack with a backflip, then with a raise of the leg stared at Robin and prepared to kick him in the face. Quickly, Robin's reflexes allowed him to dodge the kick and catch his attacker's leg. Confidently, he commented, "Nice try," but then he was suddenly interrupted by a low cackle as the shadow replied with a sigh:

"Uh, I _do_ have another leg…" before Robin or his friends could react, the attacker agilely spun around and kicked the Boy Wonder square in the face! As he fell to the floor, the _she_ quickly snatched his cape just before he hit the floor- but then released it, allowing him to fall anyway. The intruder continued laughing as Starfire rushed to her friend's side and Cyborg slammed the attacker- who was still laughing- against the wall.

"Alright that's it!" yelled Cyborg as he aimed his cannon at the intruder. "It's time to-"

"Wait!" yelled Robin as he rose to his feet and began to walk towards his attacker. He pushed Cyborg to the side, looked into the intruder's eyes and optimistically asked… "Apollo?"

*Well what do you think? Not a bad opening if I say so myself (but then again I AM the author LoL) but anyway, other opinions are always helpful- and appreciated. I hope you enjoyed it and please, please, PLEASE review! I'll update soon =)


	2. Intro

***Once again, this is a sequal to 'Quid Pro Quo'; in order to have a better understanding of this story, I recommend that you read my first fic. Hopefully this clears up any confusion about my OC Apollo and her place in the story***

"Apollo?" Robin repeated himself, this time with a more excited tone in his voice. The other titans all stood and stared in confusion.

"Wait a minute," started Cyborg. "You know this guy?"

"Of course!" replied Robin, studying the amethyst eye glowing behind the black mask. "She's my friend!"

"Friend?" cried the others in astonishment.

"SHE!" yelled Cyborg in disbelief.

"Yeah I'm sure that's what he just said," commented the intruder sarcastically. Stepping forward from the wall, she then removed the black mask and approached Robin- embracing him in a hug! Speechless, the others all continued to stare, mouths wide open.

"Dude, that's not a dude!" yelled Beast Boy as he and Cyborg continued to stare at the odd… yet _interesting _intruder. Irritated, Apollo rolled her eyes and shook her head; it seemed like no matter how many times it happened, it seemed like mistaken identity issue never got any less annoying.

"Is anyone else confused?" sighed Raven as she and the others all continued to study Robin's mysterious acquaintance. Finally to break the silence, Apollo stepped forward and formally introduced herself.

"Hey, I'm Apollo," she started with a smile. "I'm a friend of Robin's- in case you haven't noticed." She mumbled. Shyly looking back at Robin as she stepped forward in an attempt to shake hands with the rest of the team; coldly, no one accepted the greeting, and she slowly lowered her hand. "Okay then, never mind."

"Yeah… and you two know each other how?" asked Cyborg, his arms folded as he slowly raised an eyebrow to a still smiling Robin.

"It's a little complicated," Apollo started. "But for a short while, Robin and I used to 'work' together." She looked back devilishly, as Robin- embarrassed- walked forward, rubbing the back of his neck. Now standing at her side, Robin began to help Apollo in the explanation of their knowing one another and their friendship.

"So let me get this straight," said Cyborg, slowly rubbing his forehead. "You two worked for Slade together, and you're the one that helped Robin get out?"

"_And _I'm the one who left all of those clues for you guys to help you find Robin and Slade." added Apollo confidently.

"So when we had that little fight at Wayne Industries we got our butts kicked by a girl?" said Beast Boy, his dignity clearly erased.

"Yep, pretty much," laughed Apollo as she turned to Cyborg. "I can see you still haven't perfected that left hook?" Insulted, Cyborg harshly turned away and walked toward the back of the group, mumbling a series of insults under his breath.

"So you are the one who saved us?" asked Starfire with a smile.

"Uh, I guess," answered Apollo, slowly backing away as Starfire began to approach her- growing closer with every step. Then, at a distance that was clearly too close for comfort, she grabbed Apollo and hugged her in an overly enthusiastic embrace.

"Oh, thank you new friend! We are eternally grateful!"

"Ugh, you're welcome," groaned Apollo under the crushing strength of the elated Tamaranian. After she had been released, Apollo stumbled to regain her balance and then turned to Robin in response to a question.

"I don't get it. You disappeared that night, where have you been all this time. What are you doing here?" he asked in concern. At first there was no response, but slowly Apollo sighed and began to explain.

"Around," she said casually. "My first real taste of freedom, I decided to get out and, see the city. But I was in the neighborhood for the night, so I thought I'd drop by to say 'hey'," she continued smoothly.

"At three in the morning?" asked Raven in her usual monotone. She and the others all stared at the girl suspiciously until she finally exhaled in despair and explained.

"Okay, the _real _reason I'm here is for you," she sighed, looking at Robin.

"Me? For what?"

"It's Slade; I'm afraid he's not finished with you…" she continued- a slight quiver in her voice.


	3. Secrets

"What do you mean 'not finished'?" asked Robin, his voice showed signs of anger at the very thought of Slade.

"It's a long story," explained Apollo. "But it seems like 'The Master' wasn't ready to let go. He clearly has intentions of getting his apprentice ba- AH!" Suddenly, Apollo dropped to the floor, her arms wrapped around her head in pain! Startled, the others all surrounded her, unsure as of what was going on. Breathing heavily, she struggled to stand, but with the help of Beast Boy and Star, she made it to her feet. As she looked up at the faces around her, the serious yet concerned glare on Robin's face became her focus, "It seems I have a lot of explaining to do…"

* * *

><p>In the main room of the tower, the titans all sat in a circle as Apollo began to explain the <em>true<em> reason for her visit. "As you all know, Slade isn't an easy person to figure out. It seems like no matter what is done, he always remains several steps ahead." Alertly, the others all nodded in agreement. "Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what that little 'incident' was back there?" the team all sat and looked on in interest. "Well much to my dismay, it seems like getting away from Slade wasn't as easy as I had hoped. After the fight, when everyone made it out, I was also able to escape. Unfortunately, I didn't make it far before Slade's drones found me; though I was able to fight back and get away, it seemed like- no matter where I went- he always knew where to find me." Confused, the titans all continued to listen- unsure of where this was going. "It wasn't until the other day that I realized Slade had managed to track my movements. And as it would appear," she paused and closed her eyes. "He's now aware that I know, and, he's determined to make things as painful as possible…" she groaned, tentatively placing her hand on her throbbing head.

"So what does that have to do with me?" asked Robin.

"I believe that in order to locate me, Slade has to be using some type of microchip or tracking device; unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it- but," she paused, rubbing her forehead again. "My guess is its internal; and if he's able to track _me,_ then, what's to stop him from finding _you_ too?" Instantly, the mood shifted to shock as the titans all stared at Apollo and then turned towards Robin.

"You think Slade put a tracker in Robin?" asked Starfire nervously.

"I'm not sure, but it could be a possibility." Apollo replied as she walked forward. "Hopefully he didn't but if so, we have to find it and remove it before-" she was suddenly cut off by another writhing onset of agony as a second jolt of pain rushed through her head.

"Come on," said Robin as he and Cyborg lifted the injured girl and guided her to the tower's medical center.

* * *

><p>After arriving in the medical center, Apollo was placed on a bed and observed. Within minutes, the analysis was over and Apollo calmly sat up on the table waiting for her friend and his team to return; they had gone into another room for a discussion. After what seemed like an eternity, the team had returned and Apollo turned and listened to Raven's prognosis: "You were right; there was an internal microchip in you," the others all seemed shocked. Their eyes widened at the revelation. "Cyborg and I were able to find it and deactivate it, but we can't determine how it got there or how to remove it."<p>

"That's okay," sighed the patient. "As long as it's not working, I have no complaints." She smiled as she silently thanked her doctors. "And what about you?" she asked looking at Robin.

"While Slade was obviously following you, it looks like Robin's safe," answered Cyborg. "We weren't able to find any type of tracking devices on or _in _you." Thankful, everyone released a sigh of relief. "It looks like you're in the clear," Cyborg continued to Apollo. "Slade won't be able to follow you now."

Apollo nodded in response and then looked at the faces around her, "Thank you, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it; I really do…"

"You are most welcome friend!" cheered Starfire gleefully.

"Yeah, any friend of Robin's is a friend of ours" added Beast Boy. Apollo continued to smile at the group, but then, her grin suddenly faded away as she slowly rose to her feet.

"Thanks again," she said softly. "I'm sorry; I'm not used to saying 'good-bye' but…"

"Good-bye?" asked Robin confused. "What do you mean; where are you going?"

"Look I'm sorry, but it's clear that I've overstayed my welcome. It's best that I leave now before something happens."

"Like what?" the titans all asked.

"But you just got here, you can't leave now," said Starfire, clearly saddened at the thought of her new friend leaving.

"I have to," replied Apollo, refusing to look any of them in the eye. "It's too dangerous from me to stay here. You've already confirmed that I _was_ being tracked and even though it's been deactivated, Slade could already have my coordinates. He could be here any minute! _I_ have to get out of here before he shows up and gets _both_ of us back," she lamented slowly looking around the group.

"So you're just gonna leave? And I suppose you're gonna try to take Slade on your own?" asked Cyborg.

"If I have to"

"But," said Robin, reaching into his utility belt. "We just talked it over and we wanted you to…" slowly he pulled out an official Teen Titans communicator. Startled, Apollo stared down at the little device than up at Robin- his hand still outstretched. Speechless, she looked around at the team, and then back at the communicator; she closed her eyes as she whispered quietly.

"I'm sorry… I can't," the faint comment left her lips as she began to walk forward.

"But-"

"NO!" she shouted firmly, turning towards the boy who had been following her. "I can't! Robin, the only reason I even came here was to make sure _you_ were safe." Touched by the statement, his eyes widened as she bowed her head and turned away. "Besides, if you knew who I really was… you wouldn't want me around…" sadly, she began to walk away.

"I know enough," said Robin reassuringly placing his hand on her shoulder. The two smiled at one another, Apollo looked at the communicator again as she removed his hand.

"I can't; I'm sorry but I have to go." She continued to smile as she continued, "I'll be fine; don't worry." She faced the other titans and thanked them again as she turned and proceeded to exit the tower. Within a few steps, she heard Robin's voice again.

"Wait!" he shouted as he ran up to her. "Here," he placed the communicator in her hand. "Take it anyway- just in case. You may not be able to stay, but we can always use help on the outside." Sentimentally, Apollo looked down at the yellow communicator and grasped it tightly. She looked up and prepared to speak, but was suddenly cut off by the titans' alert system…

* * *

><p><strong>*Yeah, I know so far this sounds like some kind of Soap Opera, but hopefully (if i'm doing it right) things will get better. Please continue reading and, as always, leave a review! I'll try to update soon! 8)<strong>


	4. What?

Immediately, the titans all rush into the main room to respond to the call. While the others all rush out, Cyborg stops in the doorway to see a reluctant Apollo still standing in place, "Aren't you coming?" he asked.

Apollo stared at him for a moment, then- as if waking from a dream- she repeatedly blinked her eyes, and responded, "Oh, yeah" before running out of the door. As she passed, Cyborg stared at the mysterious- and seemingly nervous girl- suspiciously wondering what her issue was. Once everyone had entered the main room, Raven activated the communication system on the main screen to see what had caused the disturbance. After a few brief seconds of static, the screen cleared to reveal none other than Slade staring into the tower.

"Good morning titans," said the psychopath calmly. As the team continued to stare at their arch nemesis, Apollo could only look on in fear at her tormentor.

"No," she whispered to herself as his menacing stare continued to pierce the main screen. Seeing her distress, Robin protectively stepped in front of Apollo- attempting to shield her from view.

"I take it you all had a good night's sleep- considering that you're all up so early…" Slade continued.

"Not really," moaned Beast Boy, lazily rubbing his eye. "We all had a rude awakening when Ap-OW!" he yelled as Raven jabbed him in the stomach- preventing him from revealing their guest.

"Hello Robin," said Slade coldly. "It's nice to see that the two of you haven't lost touch…"

"What are you talking about?" growled Robin, his hand pushing Apollo further out of view.

"No need to play coy, I know you're hiding Apollo. My trackers traced her to this location before being deactivated; there's no point in hiding, I know she's there."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Robin continued to lie. "Apollo isn't-" he was suddenly cut off as the allegedly absent Apollo pushed past him.

"Robin, it's okay," she said softly, looking at him as she walked forward. Once out of her friends' shield she looked up to the screen angrily. "What do you want?" she said, her voice low and stern- clearly demanding a response.

"Why do ask questions to which you already know the answers?" riddled Slade. "You disappear without a word; you don't call, you don't write. I like to keep a close eye on my prized possessions…"

"Save it!" she yelled angrily. "I'm not some kind of weapon! And I'm NOT coming back!" as she continued to yell, Cyborg noticed tears running down her face.

"Come now my dear," said Slade in his own dark, but sickly _caring _voice. "You can't possibly think you'll be able to stay there, as a Teen Titan," he scoffed. "I'd like to have a word with you…" As he continued to mentally beat the poor girl, Robin quickly stepped in to defend his friend.

"She's not going anywhere," Robin growled as he began to yell at Slade- as if _he _were still the one Slade wanted. The two enemies began to argue until Slade interrupted. "If you'll excuse us titans," he wickedly instructed. "I'd like to speak to Apollo alone- _**Father **_to _**daughter**_…"

* * *

><p>Immediately, the entire room became silent as Robin and the others all stared at their friend in disbelief. On the large screen Slade continued to look down on the distraught girl- a demonic twinkle in his eye. While the others all remained frozen- their mouths wide open in shock, Robin could only walk toward Apollo, and stare. Though his face continued to struggle in its attempt to hide any emotion, Apollo looked into his eyes, behind the mask, reading his obvious expression- '<em>What?<em>' Ashamed, Apollo lowered her head and whispered, "I told you… if you knew…" Even with tears welling in her eyes, she passed her friend and bravely faced _her father_.

"That's my girl," chuckled Slade demonically as the teen obediently stood in his view. "Come, it's time you returned to the… '_Family business_" he continued to taunt the girl relentlessly until her body stiffened and she spoke out.

"Shut up," she mumbled angrily. The titans all looked up at the screen as the look in Slade's eye went from one of accomplishment to disgusted confusion.

"Excuse me?" he said; Apollo didn't answer. "Excuse me, young lady?" he repeated, this time sounding shocked.

"I said, 'shut UP'!" Apollo snapped back. "I'm not going anywhere; and definitely not with you!" the two began to yell and argue- like a _real_ father and daughter, until Slade angrily yelled over his brat.

"Fine! Maybe you won't return now, but this won't last" he said looking out at the titans and then back at Apollo. "Enjoy your rebellion now, but remember… you can't escape who you are…" there was a chilling silence after the remark, and then Slade Spoke again. "Good-bye titans; take care of the little darling for me..." and with that, he was gone. Even after Slade's dismissal, the tower remained silent as the titans continued to process what they had just heard. Finally Beast Boy broke the silence:

"Dude! Slade is your FATHER!" though she heard the statement, Apollo refused to answer. She continued to stand in silence, until finally breaking down and dropping to the floor in grief. As she continued to cry in silence- attempting to hide her rage and despair from the shocked eyes that surrounded her- Robin could do nothing but stare at Apollo: his friend, the apprentice, the child- _the_ _daughter_!- of his arch enemy! As he continued to watch in denial his expression remained set in stone, but his eyes continued to look out at the distressed girl; continuing to ask the same pressing question: '_What?_'

*Wow, I'll bet some of you didn't see that coming huh? All this time, Slade had a child (other Ravager I, Ravager IV, and Jericho; remember, Apollo's an OC) and of all things- it's a girl! Holy **S**uga **H**oney **I**ced **T**ea! Now that everyone knows, how will this –continue to- affect Apollo? How will it affect the titans, and most importantly, how will this affect Robin! Will this kill his friendship with Apollo? Keep reading to find out! And as usual, please review. =)


	5. Acceptance

"SLADE IS YOUR FATHER!" exclaimed Beast Boy again as he and the others all stood around Apollo. Slowly, she raised her eyes in response to the disbelief in his voice, confirming his question. "Your DAD?"

"Yes, yes, for the millionth time YES!" shouted Apollo, clearly irritated by the shocking reality. As the others continued to stare, her eyes uncomfortably shifted from their faces to the floor and then over to the far corner of the room where Robin stood alone.

"I can't believe it," sighed Cyborg, baffled. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

"You make it sound like that's something I should be proud of," mumbled Apollo sarcastically.

"She's got a point," added Raven before Cyborg could reply. The group continued to stand in silence until Robin walked forward and began to speak.

"All this time, you kept this from us- from me. After everything you did, all the…" he quickly cut himself off and stared at the girl in front of him. "Why?" he asked in a defeated yet angry tone.

"Look, I know you're all confused and upset- and I'm sorry but, my business is _my business_ (whether I want it to be or not)." She rose to her feet looked around at the titans and began to walk forward, "It's clear that I've stayed too long; this is exactly what I was trying to avoid. Once again, I appreciate the help and it was good to see you again," she said turning to Robin, "but I have to go."

"You are still leaving?" asked Starfire sadly. Confused, Apollo turned around and faced the others.

"Why wouldn't I?" she continued to stare as Cyborg approached her.

"Despite all the crazy stuff that's happened up to know, we still can't let you go out there on your own."

"Why not? I've got you're communicator, like I said, I'll be fine."

"So you're still gonna walk out on this?" Cyborg asked, grabbing Apollo's arm as she turned to leave. "You're really just going to leave!" Quickly, she turned to face him and the others- a serious glare in her eye.

"Look I really appreciate your concern, but I can take care of this- myself." She removed her arm from Cyborg's hand and continued to walk away. "Thanks… but no thanks."

"Dude, so you're just gonna face Slade alone?" asked Beast Boy in confusion.

"That was the plan," Apollo replied sarcastically.

"But how are you going to defeat him?"

"Uh, _fighting _should do the trick." Responded Apollo irritabally. "I know you guys are concerned but Slade's not going to give up without a fight. I have to take him out now before things get any worse."

"But, how can you defeat Slade- your father- on your own?" asked Starfire nervously. "Even you admitted to not knowing his true motifs."

"I know, but if anyone's even close to capable of beating him, it would be me. The man's my dad remember; he taught me everything I know and then some. Besides, the sooner I leave, the sooner I'll be out of your hair. Don't worry, I can do this."

"We know," interrupted Robin as he walked forward. "And we're gonna help you." He continued with a smile. "Forget what happened before; our offer still stands." There was a brief pause as Apollo looked around at the warm faces and thought over the offer.

"Ugh, you guys just don't know the meaning of 'no' do you?" she groaned sarcastically. "I guess I have no choice; fine." she looked up and smiled faintly, accepting the offer.

"New friend!" shouted Starfire as she flew forward and embraced the newest member once again. "We promise to assist you and look past your dark ancestry!"

"Starfire's right," added Robin. "If we're going to take Slade down effectively, we might as well do it together." Simultaneously, the others all agreed and continued to accept and embrace the newest titan.

* * *

><p>Soon after the previous occurrences, Apollo was led down a hall in the tower by Cyborg. "Here we are," started Cyborg. "You'll be staying here for now; unless you change your mind and stay- cause if so- this is your room." Apollo walked through the doorway and turned on the light. Overwhelmed by the spacious area she couldn't help but smile and stare in awe. Cyborg himself began to grin in response to the girl's reaction. "Glad you like it."<p>

Apollo turned in response to the remark; slowly her smile faded as she stared at the titan and asked, "Why? Why are you guys doing this? Robin's one thing, but why are the rest of you helping me? I don't deserve this."

"Actually you do," answered Cyborg calmly. "After everything you've been through, and what you've already done for us… I just wish we could do more." He continued to stand in the doorway as Apollo walked toward the large window looking out over the sea.

"Thank you, I just-" she paused as she turned to face Cyborg. "You guys are just too nice" she sighed softly.

"Well what would you expect from a hero?"

Apollo looked on in thought then responded, "Probably nowhere near what you all think of me," she said, shamefully glaring back at the window.

"Well, hopefully those thoughts will be proven wrong," Cyborg replied reassuringly. "Enjoy the room." He continued as he turned to walk away- taking one last look at the girl before closing the door behind him.

* * *

><p>After a few moments of silence, Apollo began to walk around the room- studying the new objects around her. Then once she was sure that she was alone, she opened her new communicator and stared at it sentimentally. Still smiling, she began to fiddle with its inner workings until the Titans logo disappeared- allowing a dark image to take their place on the screen. Cynically, she continued to smile as the dark image continued to clarify; and then, behind a sinister mask, a familiar voice spoke: "Hello my dear; and how are we doing?"<p>

"Everything is going as planned," answered Apollo emotionlessly. "They don't suspect a thing."

"Excellent," hissed Slade through the tainted communicator. "And Robin?"

"None the wiser."

"Good work my dear. You have done well; prepare to commence to phase two. You have made me proud."

"Thank you… Father…"

**** Uh-oh, what's going on? Only one way to find out; Please RxR, will update soon!**


	6. Connection

The following morning, the team woke and begun their daily rituals as they always did. The television blasted with the sound effects of videogames, the kitchen bubbled and gurgled as Starfire prepared another of her _unique_ delicacies for her friends, and Raven sat silently in a far corner of the room reading another of her treasured books. Everything was as it always had been. As the others all continued with their business, the main door opened as Robin entered and- smiling- looked around at his team. However, it seemed that someone was missing; he looked around and saw the usual tower inhabitants: Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven… "Have you guys seen Apollo?" asked the leader in confusion.

"Not since last night," answered Beast Boy, his attention still focused on the videogame.

"Yes where is Apollo?" asked Starfire cheerfully. "I wish for her to try my new Galorfian egg pudding," she continued as she approached Robin- a spoon covered in a hairy substance in her hand. "Taste" Robin stared at the spoon fearfully; he then turned to Raven and- to avoid eating Star's concoction- asked her about Apollo's whereabouts.

"Haven't seen her," replied Raven in her usual monotone. "She's probably still sleeping."

"Yeah, after the freaky stuff that went down last night, the girl could use some rest," added Cyborg as he stood and prepared to perform his victory dance before a defeated Beast Boy.

"I guess," sighed Robin as he walked back through the main doors and headed towards Apollo's room to see if she was okay. Once down the hall, he approached Apollo's room to find the door wide open. Assuming that she was awake, he entered; but before he could even wish his friend a 'good morning' he realized that the room was empty! The bed was perfectly made and not a thing was out of place- it was as if she was never there. Confused, Robin instantly feared that Apollo had snuck away that night- still intent on facing Slade on her own! Fearful, Robin bolted from the room and back to his friends. "She's gone!" he shouted. Instantly, the others all turned around in response to their leader's cry.

"What do you mean gone?" asked Cyborg.

"She's not in her room; has anyone seen her since last night?" questioned Robin as his friends all shook their heads in response. "We have to find her. Search the tower! We have to bring her back, before Slade does." Immediately, he and the others all scanned the tower calling for Apollo- all without any luck.

"She's not here," said Raven as she returned to the main room with Beast Boy and Starfire.

"I wasn't able to find her either," continued Cyborg.

"She has to be somewhere," answered Robin, a clear sense of concern in his voice.

"But she couldn't just leave," said Starfire sadly. "She promised to stay."

"Wait!" shouted Cyborg. "I'm picking up a signal from her communicator!" immediately the others all crowded around to hear the news.

"Well?" demanded Robin.

"She's still in the tower," answered Cyborg reassuringly. Relieved Robin and the others let out a sigh and calmed themselves.

"But where?" asked Beast Boy. "We've checked everywhere inside the tower." Instantly, Beast Boys question sparked an epiphany as Robin looked out at the sun, then up to the ceiling. Calmly he looked at the others and nodded, confirming that he knew where to look.

* * *

><p>The waking sun shone brightly over the sea; its warming rays embraced Titans' Tower and all who lived inside- including its newest inhabitant who sat peacefully on the rooftop. Alone, she sat on the edge of the roof and looked out on the horizon deep in thought; she stared down at the crashing waves, then over to the city- listening to car horns and the ecstatic chatter of the inhabitants. She looked up to the clear morning sky and watched the clouds slowly hovering by. In silence she continued to watch the landscape from her temporary home.<p>

Slowly Robin approached the rooftop. As he opened the door, the bright rays of the sun enveloped his body. Once on the roof, he looked around anxiously in hopes that his friend had not left. Soon his searching allowed him to see a black silhouette resting on the far corner of the rooftop alone; the sun wrapped around her body- creating an angelic glow. Happily, Robin released a slow sigh of relief when he saw that she hadn't left; he walked forward and approached the lonely girl. "It's nice isn't it?" he asked casually as he continued to walk forward, taking a seat next to Apollo.

"Yes," she responded, not turning to face her friend; she closed her eyes and continued, "It's not often that I get to see it- the sun." she sighed and slowly faced the Boy Wonder. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere" she continued sarcastically. Robin smiled in response- trying to cover his initial feelings of fear and concern. "I couldn't sleep. I've been up here since sunrise- thinking, planning; appreciating the view."

"The others are inside. Breakfast is waiting if you're-"

"I'm okay," Apollo interrupted. "It hasn't even been a full day. I don't think I'm ready for _group meals_" she looked at Robin with a faint smile. "Besides, I don't think they're ready for me either."

"How will you know unless you come in and find out?" replied Robin as he placed his hand on Apollo's shoulder. "They're just as willing to look past everything as I am; just give them a chance and they'll do the same for you." He smiled warmly as he rose to his feet and put his hand out to help his friend up.

Reluctantly, Apollo shook her head and smiled, "You guys are just _too_ nice," she shighed as she too stood up and followed him inside, but only after taking one final look out at the sea.


	7. Solitaire

Through the doors, Apollo followed Robin back into the main room where the others had already begun to eat breakfast and converse amongst one another. Casually, Robin strode towards the table to join his team; as he sat down in his usual seat between Cyborg and Starfire, he and the others all paused and looked up at Apollo in confusion. "Come and join us friend," said Starfire cheerfully as she slid over and invited a still shy Apollo to sit next to her at the table. Cautious, Apollo looked around at the friendly faces, then slowly walked over to the table and took a seat. Once at the table, Apollo tried her best to keep her composure, but with all the staring eyes surrounding her and analyzing her every move, it was almost impossible.

Finally, with a discreet clearing of his throat, Robin managed to subdue the curious, yet piercing, glares. While the others resumed their dining and picked up on their previous conversations, Apollo continued to sit in silence- looking forward in deep thought; then suddenly, a small plate began to slowly inch its way toward her on the table. She looked down at the small plate and studied its _contents_ before hearing a voice beside her, "Hey," shouted Beast Boy excitedly, startling Apollo and drawing her attention away from the plate. "I thought you might want some breakfast. Here's some waffles and eggs; freshly baked!" the green boy smiled eagerly as Apollo stared down at the breakfast banquet prepared for her. Though such things weren't exactly common in her past, Apollo did know what waffles looked like (and the last time she checked, they weren't white). Skeptically, she continued to look at the waffle, then up at its eagerly smiling cook; reluctantly, she raised her fork and directed it toward the pale confection; suddenly, she was interrupted by a commanding scream from across the table.

"YO!" shouted Cyborg as he dove across the table and snatched the plate away from Apollo before she could eat anything. "You can't be sneaking her that!" yelled Cyborg as he hurled the white waffle into the trash and continued shouting at Beast Boy.

"_Yeah, I wasn't going to eat that at all_," mumbled Apollo, rolling her eyes as she placed her fork back on the table.

"You're darn right you weren't," continued Cyborg, staring at Beast Boy. "That's that nasty tofu mess! I can't believe you'd try to sneak her that! You trying to kill the girl on her _**FIRST DAY!**_"

"I wasn't sneaking her anything!" yelled Beast Boy in response. "She was about to eat it willingly until **you** snatched it away and trashed her breakfast!" The two boys continued to argue across the table- much to the agitation of the others. However, while Starfire and Robin attempted to keep the peace, and Raven irritably shook her head, Apollo couldn't help but watch and force back a smile. Finally the commotion died down and everyone departed from the table; as everyone returned to their usual activities, Apollo began to head towards the main doors and retreat to her room, only to be called by an eager Starfire.

"New friend," she began sweetly. "Would you like to participate in the 'hanging out'?" At first Apollo stared at the Tamaranean in confusion. "We could commence in the painting of the toenails or perform braiding maneuvers on each other's hair. We might even-"

"Uh, sorry Starfire," interrupted Apollo. "But I'm going to have to take a rain check."

Perplexed, Starfire stared out the window and looked at the clear skies and shining sun, "But there is no rain?" Softly, Apollo chuckled at the statement and began to explain the meaning of her words.

"No," she said shaking her head at the innocent observation. "A 'rain check' is a reservation for a future date; another time?" Starfire smiled shyly, signaling her understanding. "I'm sorry, but I have some business I have to take care of. If we're going to beat Slade, we need to know what to expect… _**I**_ need to know what to expect."

Intrigued by her statement, Robin looked away from the television and stood up, "We can help you," he said. "We're doing this together remember?" he continued as he watched Apollo walk away, returning to her room.

"Yeah, but this is something _I _need to take care of. The one thing I'm sure of is that Slade knows it's not over. He's expecting me to find him; might as well give him what he wants now before we really hit him off guard. Besides, in order to get the job done, we have to know where Slade is; and I'm the one who knows how to find him," Apollo continued in a distant, yet arrogant tone. "I'll be in… my room; I'll let you know when I find him." She looked around at the others, then turned away and walked through the doors.

Confused, the titans all stood and stared at the closed doors, even after Apollo had left. Clearly she wasn't the only one who had to adapt to a new lifestyle. "Dude, a simple 'no thank you' would've worked," commented Beast Boy sarcastically. "What's her deal anyway? All we want to do is help."

"Well you gotta cut the girl some slack," said Cyborg. "I mean considering the circumstances, if I were in her shoes, I'd be focused on taking the man down too." He continued in a calm, brotherly tone.

"Cyborg's right," added Robin. "She's been through a lot and obviously she's not used to this many people-"

"_Obviously_," groaned Beast Boy.

Irritably, Robin shook his head and continued, "We just need to give her some time; she'll come around." He said calmly, as he turned back to the television and continued to flip through the channels.

Hours passed and the day continued without err; everything remained routine in the tower- all except for Apollo; while the others tried their best to ignore it, but it was a fact that she had yet to leave her room since breakfast- several hours ago! While walking towards his own room, Cyborg crept up to her still closed door and leaned against it in an attempt to listen in on the new girl. Even through the thick steel door, he could hear the relentless clicking and tapping of a keyboard. '_She's still working?_' though Cyborg in disbelief, '_Wow she's worse than-_' his train of thought was quickly cut short as he saw Robin turning the corner and coming down the hall. Quickly he jumped back from the door and casually walked passed his friend as if nothing had happened.

'_Even he's not that driven_,' thought Cyborg as he watched Robin enter his room across the hall and shut the door. '_Something's not right._' He thought skeptically. '_Something's doesn't seem right;_ _she has to be up to-_' he paused and turned back at her room. As he looked back at the tightly closed door, he thought back to Robin's words. Realizing the credibility behind his reasoning, Cyborg shrugged of his suspicions and walked through the hall to the main room. Shortly after his departure, the once closed door cracked open, allowing a glowing amethyst eye to peek through the cracked opening and watch the bionic snoop walk away…

Back in the main room, the once suspicious Cyborg enthusiastically engaged in a dual in the latest videogame with Beast Boy. Raven sat in front of the main window meditating, while Starfire unknowingly overused her newest set of hair ornaments. Everything was as it always had been, when suddenly the main doors slid open revealing the once reclusive Apollo confidently standing in the doorway. "Is everyone here?" she asked anxiously. "Robin!" she called out to her absent friend. Once he had entered the room in response, Apollo stood before her new team and with a devilish grin, declared the news, "I've got him…"


	8. Drive

"What; who?" asked everyone in confusion. Startled by the declaration, they all dropped what they were doing and walked forward, standing around Apollo.

"Are you saying you know where Slade is?" asked Robin. Apollo's devilish grin remained fixed on her face as she looked him in the eye and smiled.

"Already?" exclaimed Beast Boy and Cyborg. "Dude!"

"But it has only been a few hours," remarked Starfire.

"Yeah, how were you able to find him so fast?" asked Cyborg, trying his best to hide the skepticism in his voice.

"Simple," stared Apollo. "You remember the tracker he was using on me?" everyone nodded in confirmation. "Well even though you and Raven were able to deactivate it, I still managed to tweak it and use it to my own advantage; if Slade could use it to follow me, why can't I track him down with his own toys?" the crafty girl asked in a confident manner. "It's just a simple means of turning the tables- using your opponent's assets against them."

"Great work Apollo," praised Robin. "So where exactly is he? We need to know now so we can strike as soon as possible," he continued, looking at the files in her hand.

"He's actually a lot closer than we thought," she said as she walked over to the kitchen area and spread the papers out across the counter- revealing a bunch of random pictures. "Turns out he's been hiding at the old abandoned steel mill just outside of the city; see?" she points to a few pictures of a worn down old building and several of Slade's drones standing guard outside. "Oh, and here, I managed to pull a few extra bits of info that could prove useful." She held up her arm and pulled back her glove to reveal a small silver wristlet.

"Um, stylish?" said Cyborg in confusion.

"And this will help us how?" asked Raven, slowly lifting an eyebrow.

"Hold on, I've gotta get it up," answered Apollo as she quickly tapped the piece of jewelry several times. "It not the bracelet, that's going to help, it's what I put on it…" Intrigued, the others all crowded around Apollo's arm and stared at the wristband in curiosity. The stylish bracelet began to beep, then slowly, the steady beeping began to speed up until it suddenly halted and a large holographic screen exploded from the wristband!

"Whoa! Cool; AMAZING!" the titans all cried when they saw the incredible image projecting from Apollo's arm.

"What is this?" asked Starfire curiously as she innocently began poking at the glowing image of a building hovering above the wristlet.

"It's a map; a 3D hologram of Slade's headquarters." Stated Apollo confidently. While the others all continued to stare in awe at the amazing new gadget, Robin managed to snap out of his astonished stupor and return to reality.

"This is incredible, but how did you manage to get all of this in just a day? I mean a holographic map of his location; how did you know where to look?"

"Or what to look for?" added Cyborg.

"Uh let me see; how_ did_ I find this?" sighed Apollo as she sarcastically closed her eyes and pretended to think. "Oh yeah now I remember, it's called '_hacking_'!" she replied irritably. "I'm an expert spy remember? Come on Robin," scoffed Apollo as she shut down the image and walked forward. "I'd figure at least you would know that."

"Dude, with all this dirt we could beat Slade like a gazillion times!" cheered Beast Boy in disbelief.

"I think once will be more than enough," sighed Raven in response to Beast Boys childish statement.

"Yes, and with what I've pulled up one time is all we need," said Apollo as she ominously stared down at the scattered pictures. "We should be ready to go in a few minutes-"

"Hold up!" shouted Cyborg. "You wanna leave tonight? That's a little soon don't you think?"

"No," snapped Apollo as she gathered the pictures. "The sooner we start, the sooner it will all end…" she slowly became silent after the remark. Clearly she had other reasons for her extreme dedication and drive. "Besides, there's no telling how long we can trust he'll actually stay there," as she spoke, the others were all able to make sense of her reasoning. "We can't risk the wait."

After, thinking over what had been said, the team stood and contemplated what should be done; finally Robin stepped forward, "Apollo's right, we can't risk the wait," the rest of the team stared at their leader while Apollo smiled as her proposition was taken into consideration. "But," Robin continued, "Even I have to admit that striking now would be too early; this could be exactly what Slade expects. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow- at the latest?" suggested Robin as he turned and faced his friend. A concerned, reassuring look on his face, his glance- at first- was ignored by an angry Apollo, but eventually she broke and gave in to then whim.

"Fine," she mumbled angrily. "I'll spare him one more night…" she growled as she gathered her findings and headed back to her room. Before walking out of the main room she stopped one last time and turned to face the others, "But you all have to be ready in the morning…"


	9. Phase 1: Set Up

The following morning, everyone woke and entered the common room sleepily, yet refreshed- anxious to commence with the intense mission they had planned for the day. "Alright! Whose ready to kick some butt!" shouted Beast Boy enthusiastically as she bounced around jabbing and shadow-boxing with the air.

"I expect you to be," answered Apollo as she closed the door to the refrigerator and stood before the team. "Come on," she continued as she finished a cool glass of juice. "It's time to give Slade a surprise he'll never forget…" A feral spark in her eye, instantly it was clear that her mind was set and her intentions fixed solely on revenge. Concerned for his friend's emotional attachment to the mission, Robin stepped forward and looked Apollo in the eye; exchanging a reassuring stare, signaling that everything would work out for the best.

"Alright, let's get this started," said Cyborg as he and the other titans all stared at their leader. However, instead of barking orders and hyping up his team as usual, Robin looked at his friends in confusion.

"Don't look at me," he replied as he backed towards the newest member. "This is Apollo's mission; we'll be following her lead." He said calmly as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Shocked, the others all stared at Robin- their mouths agape. '_We're taking orders from who!' _they all thought simultaneously. '_Apollo?_' Cyborg subconsciously exclaimed. '_Since when does __**she**__ call the shots!_' She just became a titan and- as far as he was concerned- was still the enemy. _'Left hook my foot!_ _We're setting out to take Slade down, and we're being led by __his daughter__? __**SAY WAH!**_'

"Okay," started Apollo, instantly taking the role of leader. "First we have to get there; until then, I'll let you keep your role," she said to Robin, clearly trying her best not to sound too commanding.

"Alright, we'll take the T-car," he started. "With Apollo's map to guide us, that should get us there in no time."

"_Should_ get us there? Try **will** get us there!" shouted Cyborg, insulted by Robin's comment. "Let's go," he shouted as everyone raced to the garage. As they raced down the hall, Cyborg paused to brag to Apollo about his ride, "It's about time you get to see my baby in action," he smiled proudly as he waved the keys in her face.

At first, Apollo didn't know how to respond to the boy's friendly remark. As far as she was concerned his kind gestures, were simply him trying his beat to ignore her past- which she knew still bothered everyone else just as much as it annoyed her. 'Too nice,' she grumbled subconsciously. Her mind still fixed on the mission and what lied ahead for the team; she stared at the smiling titan for a moment, then rolled her eyes and pulled up the map on her wristlet. "Ugh, come on," she sighed as she brushed past the driver. There was business to be taken care of; she had no time for humor; but as she approached the car, she realized that such actions were common amongst her new… friends, and that she'd have to get used to it. With a irritable sigh, she turned back to the driver and waved the map, "Hey," she shouted to Cyborg. "I've got shotgun." She said, trying her best to sound friendly and adding a flirty wink as she turned back to the others and got into the car.

* * *

><p>After what seemed like a matter of seconds, the team reached their destination. Swiftly, Robin leapt off of his R-cycle as the others filed out of the T-car. "So far so good," sighed Apollo as she looked at the hologram on her wrist, comparing it to the actual building. "This is the place."<p>

"Titans Go!" shouted Robin as he and the others started to rush towards the building.

"Wait!" shouted Apollo as she jumped in front of the clueless heroes.

"Uh, I thought you wanted to get to work?" asked Beast Boy.

"Yes," added Starfire. "Why are you stopping us?"

"Because," said Apollo. "This isn't how it's done." Confused, the others all paused and stared at her. "Let's not forget who we're dealing with; have you guys ever wondered _why_ your attempts at surprising Slade never work?" asked Apollo in a scolding manner. "It's because you'd rather run in and scream a bunch of stupid punch lines (which I happened to write down)," she said mockingly looking at the boys. "If we're going to beat Slade, we have to think like Slade… and that's why you have me." She continued confidently, "Last time I checked, this was my mission?" She said matter-of-factly as she nodded to Robin. Immediately he nodded back- just as they had during their past time as partners; slowly the others followed suit. "Ok, now obviously we have to get in before we can do anything else," Apollo dictated as she pulled up the holographic map and pictures of the building. If this map is correct, then there should be an access point around the back of the building that leads to the ventilation system. Once we get in through there, then we'll really be able to get to work."

"Alright," said Robin before being interrupted by Raven.

"So you mean we're going to be crawling through the ventilation? ...of an abandoned building?" she asked unenthusiastically.

"If it means being undetected," answered Apollo calmly. "Come on, let's just get in and get it over with; we've got bigger things to discuss inside."

* * *

><p>Inside the vents, Apollo managed to lead the team to the center of the building. Once there, Cyborg managed to open the ventilation shaft, allowing everyone to officially enter the building. "Good work Apollo," praised Robin as everyone got their bearings and embraced their surroundings. While it was clear from the outside that they were entering an abandoned building, what the team experienced on the inside further confirmed the destination. The area was dark and cold, the slightly flooded ground was damp and soggy- omitting faint sounds of splashing with every step; the stale air was malodorous and induced tearing among the entire group; it was so horrid that it even stung the nose and throat when inhaled deliberately.<p>

"Dude," groaned Beast Boy as he tried his best to endure the foul atmosphere. "You think Slade would've picked a fresher spot to hide!"

"Shh!" hissed Raven as she irritably stared at her complaining teammate.

"I know it sucks," agreed Apollo. "But until we can find Slade, we'll just have to bare it. Okay," she sighed deliberately. "Here's how it works," she began as she projected the hologram against a nearby wall, keeping an eye out for any of her father's guards. "As we have seen, this building remains unchanged for the most part; there are only several rooms which Slade has occupied. Of these rooms there are only three that seem promising in that they hold Slade." She continued to speak as she pulled up images of the three rooms. "Now to check all three of the rooms together would be too long and too risky, therefore, our best bet is to split up and check them simultaneously; then if anyone manages to find anything we can contact one another and regroup to form an ambush." Apollo continued to explain her plan, the rest of the team listening closely- entranced by her smooth and charismatic, yet stern manner of giving orders. "Beat Boy, you and Raven head east and check the armory," she directed calmly. "Robin, you-"

"I'm coming with you," he interrupted firmly.

"No. You and Starfire will go to the west wing and search the control room," countered Apollo.

"No," snapped Robin. "I'm not letting you go alone; what if you do find Slade? You'll be alone with no one to help you."

"Robin no!" shouted Apollo irritably. "First of all, I'm not going alone, Cyborg will be with me when I go to check the main observatory. Second, I'm not helpless. I can take care of myself; I'm pretty sure I can hold my own against my 'old man'. And third, you and I together is too risky; like you said, 'what if I do find Slade?' catching both of us at once could be just what he wants; and I know you don't want that any more than I do." She said to her overly protective friend in a commanding- yet caring- tone. "Now come on, we have to get moving before someone shows up and catches us." She urged one last time before giving a final nod to everyone and running ahead before Cyborg could catch up.

Starfire and Robin soon followed suit and broke for their destination, leaving Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy to stand in the stale atmosphere, musing over what had just happened. "Great," sighed Raven as she cautiously floated over the soggy ground. "Another Robin..."

"Worse," moaned Beast Boy, slouching as he walked forward looking at Cyborg who finished the statement.

"This one's a girl…"


	10. One on One

Alone, Cyborg sloshed his way through the stale moisture of the building, searching for Apollo. Trying to determine where she had disappeared to so quickly, he finally gave up and began to call her name. "Apollo," he whispered loudly. "Apollo! Where you at?" Still no answer. As he stumbled further down the damp pathway, his eyes began to strain as the few faint traces of light slowly began to fade. Irritated by Apollo's lack of communication, Cyborg decided to call for his 'partner' one last time before contacting his _real_ team, "Apollo, yo-" abruptly his cries ceased when he heard the sound of footsteps at the end of the hall. '_Finally_,' thought Cyborg, assuming that Apollo had heard his calls. As the footsteps grew louder, the dim glow from a flashlight began to follow;;; the steps down the hall. Relieved he had found her, Cyborg began to walk toward Apollo and the light. However, as he grew closer and the light became clearer, Cyborg noticed that the blurry shadow holding the flashlight, wasn't the sleek silhouette he'd become accustomed to seeing- it was one of Slade's robots!

Startled, Cyborg backed away and crouched into the shadows and readied his sonic cannon, preparing to take out the demonic drone. Slowly he stood, armed and ready to attack; but then he heard another noise coming from above him… '_Oh man_,' he thought to himself. '_I'm dead!_' he cried in his head as the flashlight crept up on him… "Alrigh- huh!" Shouted Cyborg as his defensive attack was cut short by the supposed drone above him that swooped down from the vents and lashed out on the unsuspecting minion. During the blitzed battle, the victim's flashlight was dropped; but before the light fell to the floor, Cyborg managed to catch a glimpse of the attacker's shining amethyst eye- Apollo. However, after the crystal-blue shine died with the flashlight, amid the angry growls and grunts, Cyborg noticed an eerie- yet entrancing- silver glow that continued- barely- to keep the hall lit. Finally, after an intense one-on-one scuffle that seemed to last for hours, Cyborg jumped in to assist his partner in the battle. After a few more blows and blasts, Apollo was thrown backward by the drone- allowing it time to signal for backup.

Determined to keep their whereabouts a secret, Apollo whipped out her bo staff and charged toward the robot. Just out of striking distance, she dug the staff into the ground, launching herself into the air. Once above the enemy, Apollo then came crashing downward; slamming her feet onto her opponent's shoulders- Cyborg could only close his eyes in reaction to the echoing crash. Opening his eyes up to the battle scene, everything had been silenced except for Apollo's heavy and hostile breathing. She continued to stand over the fallen victim; her feet firmly grounded between the robot's severed arms! '_Dang,_' Cyborg thought to himself as he continued to stare at the still angry girl; while she continued to stare at the finished drone, the mysterious silver light which illuminated Apollo's face, slowly began to die down; once again everything was dark. Then suddenly, in the darkness, Cyborg was startled by the swift rush of air that resulted from the whipping of Apollo's staff as she lifted it and then quickly slammed it back into the ground- upon doing so, Cyborg heard the sound of breaking metal… Walking forward to see what had happened, he shone his own light first towards Apollo- she appeared fine- then on Slade's mutilated robot- the light revealed the lethal staff, slammed into its chest!

"You wanna yell a little louder next time," asked Apollo irritably. "I don't think _**everyone else**_ heard you!" She continued arrogantly. Insulted by the comment, Cyborg quickly responded.

"Well if you hadn't disappeared so quickly,"

"Well if _you_ knew how to pay attention and keep up!" Apollo snapped back, turning to face her teammate.

"Well-" Cyborg suddenly stopped his rant- entranced by his partner's eyes. The beautiful amethyst- blue on the right, and… a pale grey- glowing- on the left!

"What?" shouted Apollo, still angry, but confused as to what Cyborg was staring at. Then she noticed her shining reflection in his shoulder; embarrassed, she turned away and immediately began to fix her hair- covering the left side of her face once again. "I wish you hadn't seen that." She mumbled sadly.

"I'm sorry," said Cyborg, realizing that she had been offended by his stare. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," Apollo said softly. "You're not the first… you'd figure I'd be used to it by now." She continued to face away from Cyborg until she was sure her eye was shielded, then she turned and spoke sternly, "Come on. We're wasting time…" she said as she tore her staff from the lifeless drone and jumped up to the ceiling- crawling back into the vents; Cyborg following close behind.

* * *

><p>Back in the ventilation system, Cyborg and Apollo crawled toward the main observatory in hopes of finding Slade. Enveloped in silence, the two continued to crawl through the seemingly endless maze; finally, Cyborg spoke up, "Hey um, back there I didn't mean to-"<p>

"Don't worry about it," answered Apollo quickly. Her attention clearly on their objective, she continued to lead through the vents, trying her best to show no emotion. "Like I said, you figure I'd be used to it by now."

"I like it," Cyborg said. "Your eyes I mean; they're beau-" he quickly stopped himself and reworded the complement- trying not to make the moment too awkward, "cool."

"Glad _you_ like them," Apollo replied sarcastically.

"No offense, but I don't see why you keep it hidden; I mean, if anyone has something to cover it'd be-"

"Me," Apollo interrupted, purposely replacing Cyborg's anticipated answer. "If anyone has something to _show off_ its you." She slowly turned back to Cyborg and flashed a shy smile. "There's nothing beautiful about torture and past pain…" she sighed as she fixed her hair, revealing her eye once again.

"What do you mean?" asked Cyborg in confusion; based on her last gesture, those entrancing eyes had a deeper meaning than she was willing to share. Slowly Apollo sighed as she turned around and continued moving.

"Let's just say heterochromia doesn't run in the family…"

Still confused by the statement, Cyborg too continued to move forward in the vents, silently thinking to himself, '_Great, something else she won't tell us... Does she always have to talk in riddles?... That's definitely one thing she got from 'Daddy'…_' his train of thought was halted when he and Apollo suddenly stopped short. Frozen in place, Apollo remained crouched down in an apprehensive position- staring down at the closed vent shaft base beneath her. "What is it?" asked Cyborg.

"Slade," growled Apollo, her head still facing downward. Her stare was intense, and as she continued to focus, Cyborg noticed the slow return of the eerie silver glow. Suddenly the light ceased and Apollo quickly sat down and began to pull up her holographic map and determine her coordinates. "Contact the others," she ordered. "You get Raven and Beast Boy, I'll call Robin and Starfire." Immediately she and Cyborg began to call the rest of the team, and within minutes everyone was engaged in conversation. "Apollo to Robin, Cyborg and I have located Slade, and are prepared to attack."

"Good work," praised Robin.

"I'm sending you a visual of our destination," continued Cyborg to Raven. "We're all going to meet up and cut off his escape routes; it's an ambush."

"Okay, get here as soon as you can, when I give the word we all enter and progress with phase two. Apollo out."

"Well we did it," said Cyborg, in a content manner. "We're about to capture Slade; he's finally gonna get what's coming to him."

Apollo shut off her communicator and held it tightly in her hand; looking down at it one last time, she then closed her eyes and whispered to herself. "And he has no idea…"

***It looks like the titans will finally be successful in their attempt to defeat Slade. Let's just hope things don't backfire- as we all know, Slade's always one step ahead, and with his daughter in the mix, anything can happen; but the only way you'll know for sure is if you keep reading. And as always, please leave a review! Will update soon.**


	11. Phase 2: Execution

The entire perimeter was surrounded, drones patrolling the halls, and their master was safe inside the main observatory. However, Slade wasn't the one in control; as safe as things may have seemed, they were actually far from it; unbeknownst to the target, things were about to take an unexpected turn, and while there was no way to get out, there _were_ three ways to get in: Raven and Beast Boy at the emergency exit, Robin and Starfire at the main door, and Cyborg and Apollo waiting in the vents. Anxious, the team tried their best to remain still and wait for the signal from Apollo; each of them tightly gripping the communicators in their hands.

She could hear him beneath her, talking, planning, scheming; the man, the monster, the 'Master'… her father, confidently calculating his next move. Through the slits in the air vents, she and Cyborg could see him moving; like the dirty snake he was, he slithered from one screen to another, scanning the findings of his next plan, "What are we waiting for?" whispered Cyborg anxiously. "What is he looking at?"

"Project Di," answered Apollo. "It was the last heist he and I ever worked on before…" Apollo quickly silenced herself and stared back down into the vents. This time things were different. For once she was in charge; for once she was on top, and as she continued to stare down through the vents… she was on top- finally able to look down on her oppressor. Then finally, she turned to Cyborg and- with a deliberate nod- confirmed the beginning of their attack. Obediently, Cyborg contacted the others on his communicator and commenced with the ambush- Phase Two.

* * *

><p>Calmly, Slade rested in his haven; sinisterly staring at the screens and their stolen content. Though crude and dark to most, clearly, for him, this was bliss. Then suddenly, there was an odd crash outside one of the exits. Slightly startled, Slade turned his head toward the origin of the noise; after the sound had suddenly ceased, the mastermind turned back to his work and continued to revel in his success. After another moment, there was another suspicious noise and an odd green glow outside the main door; then suddenly the main doors flew open and a mutilated drone fell to the floor as Starfire rushed in and blasted Slade in the chest. Soon after, Raven entered through a wall in the far corner of the room, followed by an enraged green gorilla and a blinding blast of blue light from a sonic cannon. "Slade," growled a familiar voice. Slowly the target turned to face the voice- Robin standing in the doorway, weapons bared and a focused scowl on his face.<p>

"Well," started Slade, completely unfazed by the surprise. "If it isn't the Teen Titans. What a pleasant surprise…" the demonic psychopath sighed, as if pleased to see his enemies. "I must say, even I didn't expect to see you today. Might I ask what the occasion is?"

"It's Father's Day," answered Cyborg.

"And we thought we drop off a little gift," continued Robin as he looked up to the vents above his enemies head. At first there was no sign of activity, but then- as if out of thin air- Apollo leapt down from the ceiling and landed right in front of Slade.

"Ya miss me?" she snarled angrily.

"Apollo!" shouted Slade. "Welcome back my dear. I knew you would return, when you were ready…" he purred darkly, stroking her cheek. As father and daughter continued to face off, the rest of the team stood still- apprehensive; Cyborg studied the girl's face as the eerie silver glow slowly returned. The out of the blue, with a fury never seen before, Apollo dropped to the floor and clipped her tormentor- swiping his legs from underneath him. Once he'd made contact with the ground, Apollo quickly gave the word for the others to join in on the attack. Like a pack of wild animals, they closed in on an unprepared and defenseless target. Blow by blow they took their turns striking his body; as they continued to beat Slade, Apollo left the group and discretely backed off into the shadows- allowing her friends to finish the job. Within seconds of her departure, Cyborg noticed that Apollo was missing; he then realized that while he and the others continued to attack, Slade seemed to be taking the beating- not even trying to fight back.

'_Something's not right,_' thought Cyborg to himself as he took in the scenario. Alertly, his eyes shifted around the room looking for Apollo. '_Where is she? _UMF-' Just then, Cyborg was suddenly caught off guard and struck by one of Slade's robots. Knocked to the floor, Cyborg rushed to get back on his feet. Seeing his friend on the ground, Beast Boy quickly ran to help his friend; once within reaching distance, he prepared to extend his hand in assistance, only to be kicked from behind. Falling on top of Cyborg, Beast Boy looked towards the doorway- which had been blasted open- and realized that the drones were swarming into the room to counter the attack. In response to the additional attackers, Raven and Starfire left Slade and began to drive off the drones; leaving Robin to finish Slade n his own. Still on the ground, Slade continued to take the relentless beating for a few seconds more, before rising to is feet and defending himself just long enough to back way towards the main control.

Standing beside the operations table, Slade stared at an approaching Robin, his hand above a large white button. "Well Robin," said Slade, no emotion in his voice. "This looks familiar. Tell me, aren't you getting tired of this scenario; the usual predictability?" he continued in his sickening monotone.

"There won't be another scenario after this!" growled Robin. "And as for predictability, that's also coming to an end along with YOU!" he shouted as he charged toward a still standing Slade. While the rest of the team continue to fight off the robots, Robin ran toward his enemy; leaping forward, he was ready to pounce when suddenly, he was struck in the side by an unanticipated- yet familiar- kick to the side. As the Boy Wonder fell to the floor, he heard the soft sounds of a confident chuckle- Slade.

"You're right Robin predictability has come to end… and it appears that you'll be joining it," said Slade matter-of-factly. Angered, Robin sprung to his feet, prepped to charge again, only to be struck again. This time, as he fell he heard a dark chuckle echoing from a still staring Slade.

'_What's going on?_' thought Robin frustrated. 'Who's kicking m-' he was struck again and fell to the floor a second time. This time as he hurried to regain his footing, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Robin!" shouted Apollo as she quickly ran to his side. Tentatively, she bent down to aid her friend, but in doing so, they both responded to another snide comment made by Slade.

"Hm, hm… well done my dear," hissed Slade. "It seems your plan was a success." Shocked and confused, Robin stared into the face of the girl who had bent down to help him.

'Plan,' Robin thought to himself in disbelief. 'What?' continued to blare in his head. 'What!' As he continued to ask himself this distressing question, Robin was suddenly startled by another low cackle, coming from the mastermind beside him.

"Thank you… Father," replied Apollo in a voice just as dark and lifeless as Slade's. Suddenly the entire room went silent as Apollo rose to her feet and began to walk to her father's side. Infuriated by the cruel reality that had just hit him, Robin sprung to his feet and readied himself to attack his 'friend', only to be kicked in the chest and thrown back by the feral family. Seeing what was happening, the other titans rushed forward set to destroy Slade _and _his successor. While Slade remained still, Apollo flew forward and began to counter each of her teammate's attacks.

The battle was intense, it seemed like no matter what they tried, the titans were no match for this single opponent- even when they fought in unison. In the midst of the fight, there was a loud boom and a blinding flash of white light as Apollo leapt into the air and dodged a blast from Cyborg's sonic cannon. "How could you!" shouted Cyborg angrily, steam still piping from his cannon. "We trusted you; we all trusted you! **He** trusted you!" he bellowed looking around at his team, stopping to focus on Robin. He paused for a moment and continued, "Like father like daughter I guess…"

"Aww, are someone's feelings hurt?" asked Apollo in her usual low, sarcastic voice; pretending to show empathy for her infuriated opponent. "I always said you guys were too nice," she sighed, slowly reaching into her utility belt. Before she could pull anything out, the team charged towards her, fully armed.

"Titans GO!" shouted Robin as he led the others toward their traitorous ex-member. Once everyone was within striking range, Apollo raised her hand and slammed a small smoke ball onto the ground. Blinded by the smoke and gasping for air, the titans continued to stumble through the smoke, searching for Apollo and Slade. Coughing heavily, Starfire tripped forward as she tried to get her bearings; she continued to walk- hands in front of her- calling for her friends. Then suddenly she was caught off guard as she walked into a wall- however, while she was clearly able to feel it, she could see nothing in front of her. Shortly after, the smoke cleared and the others all realized that they too were trapped behind the invisible barrier- staring at Slade and Apollo on the other side. They were trapped!

* * *

><p>"Hm, that was easy," scoffed Apollo as she turned to look up to her father.<p>

"Well done Apollo," he replied, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Now let's see: Raven, Beast Boy, Starfire…." She paused for a moment to stare at her next captive mockingly. "Cyborg. Everyone's here… wait where's-" She was suddenly caught off guard and struck in the head by a speeding birdarang. "Robin!" she exclaimed as she turned around and faced her friend- turned opponent.

"I can't believe you," he growled. "After everything that's happened… everything that we did; with you… _**for**_ you!" he continued, trying to hide any hint of emotion in his voice. "This is how you repay us?"

"Oh suck it up," answered Apollo in a cold and uncaring voice. "You're the ones who got suckered; this is my fault how?" she asked as she and Robin began to face off, slowly circling one another.

"I trusted you!" Robin screamed as he dashed forward and through the first punch, striking Apollo in the face. Immediately he continued to attack; Apollo responding with an equally hostile defense. The two combatants flipped and spun over and around one another in unison; it was as if the entire battle had been choreographed. Even Slade could only stand back and watch- pleased with his daughter's performance; but as the battle grew more intense, it soon became clear, that- while they started on the same level- Apollo was gaining the upper hand. Finally, with a final attempted blow to her face, Robin's fist was snatched up, allowing Apollo to grab him by the arm and slam his body against the nearest wall!

Distressed by what they were seeing, the other titans all began to struggle and try to force their way out of the barrier. "Robin!" Starfire cried. "You _**will**_ let him go! Release him at once!"

Softly, Apollo giggled as she ignored the Tamaranean's demands and pressed her captives face harder against the wall. Despite his predicament, Robin continued to struggle and try to fight back against her, through the corner of his eye he was able to see the entrancing amethyst glow he had grown accustomed to and once felt sympathy for. Finally he closed his own eyes in an attempt to permanently shut out the accursed glow once and for all. Then a voice spoke, "Finally, you've decided to accept your fate," said Slade mockingly, in response to Robin's gesture. "Accept defeat. Excellent work my dear," he continued to his prodigy. "You may commence with the plan." He said confidently as he stood behind his daughter.

"Yes sir," answered Apollo; oddly Robin was able to detect a slight hint of sarcasm in her voice. Slowly he opened his eyes again to view the scenario; then suddenly the iron grip that was once pressing him against the cold steel wall released him and applied all of its force to the monster standing behind it.

* * *

><p>Immediately, Slade came crashing to the floor, grabbing his neck in pain. Confused, everyone- including Slade- stared at the enraged girl who stood before them. For a moment everything was silent except for Robin and Apollo's heavy breathing; then finally Apollo stepped forward, staring down at the fallen monster, and spoke, "Happy Father's Day…" she smiled as she angrily slammed her foot into Slade again; leaving him unconscious on the floor. Still completely perplexed, Robin and the others stood still and continued to stare at Apollo as she silently walked toward the main controls and disabled the barrier separating the rest of the team. Once everyone was freed, she looked to Robin and commanded him and the others to leave the building immediately; upon doing so, Slade slowly came to and attempted to ask what was going on. Sarcastically, Apollo turned to face her fallen father and replied, "You trained a double agent…. I'm surprised you didn't see it coming…" she smiled devilishly as she shifted her look from Slade and back to Robin, signaling for them to leave the building at once, then she slammed her hand onto the large white button on the control panel- setting off a series of explosions designed to destroy the building.<p>

Within seconds, everyone was out of the building, watching it crumble to the ground. The mission was over and everyone had made it out safely- together. Slightly battered, Apollo approached the others; shyly she looked at them in silence- aware that they still needed time to soak in everything that had just happened. Finally- as usual- Beast Boy broke the silence, "Dude! Does _**anyone**_ wanna explain what just happened!" he shrieked, frantically flailing his arms; finally Raven nocked some sense into him and sighed.

"Let go home."

"All of us," added Robin as he paused and looked to Apollo, hand outstretched.


	12. Forgiveness

"I'm sorry I had to put you guys through all of that," said Apollo shyly. "But it was the only way to make things as convincing as possible." Apologetically she smiled at the rest of the team, though it was clear they still weren't sure how to react.

"So, you mean that whole battle between you and Robin was all part of your plan?" asked Beast Boy as he enthusiastically reenacted their dispute. Tentatively he rubbed his headin confusion and continued, "Dude!"

The others all continued to stare at one another in mutual uncertainty until Apollo spoke again. "Uh... yeah; pretty much... I mean, no offense," she giggled softly as she looked around at the others. "But if there's one thing I learned while spying on you in the past, it's that you guys definitely aren't the best actors. If any of this was going to work it had to be as believable as possible-"

"And what better way to do that than to not tell us at all," interjected Robin as he thought back on everything that had happened within the last few days.

"Exactly."

"So let me get this straight," sighed Cyborg as he rose to his feet, walking towards Apollo. "Your plan was to devise a plan to get us to all be a part of your plan to take down Slade who thought that your plan was to lure us into a plan that would eventually lead to our doom when actually your plan really was to take out Slade all along?" Calmly, Apollo nodded at the distressed cyborg's over-analyzed logic.

"Basically, she used us to use him," said Raven, easily clarifying the confusion.

"Dude," sighed Beast Boy. "And I thought Robin took things too seriously." Happily, everyone smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Yes," cheered Starfire. "You certainly do shove the boundaries!"

"Uh, push the limits?" corrected Cyborg as he shook his head in response to the bubbly remark. He then directed his attention to Apollo and stared at their newest member. While he wanted to smile and feel happy about her joining, something was suppressing this feeling. Though everything was over and had been changed for the better, it seemed like no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the flashbacks that continued to replay in his mind; not just of their recent victory, but of his first encounters with Apollo. His first time fighting her at Wayne Enterprises, the initial belief that she was the one behind Robin's time as Slade- her _father's_- apprentice, her break-in on the tower that night, even her perfectly executed plan back at the warehouse; no matter how many times he told himself it was all a plan, even after countless attempts at ignoring and forgetting it, it seemed like he could not get her off his mind; he couldn't forget, and thus, was secretly unable to forgive. '_What's wrong with her… what's wrong with me?…She did nothing wrong. She's already done so much- been through so much, why can't-_'

"This calls for a celebration!" cheered Starfire again as she sprung into the air and flew toward the kitchen. "Come friends, let us feast! You all have yet to try my galorfian egg pudding! Taste!" she cried as she joyously whipped out a spoon and scooped up a dollop of the furry purple-orange substance; holding it out to anyone crazy enough to actually taste it. Disturbed, the others all stared at the hairy concoction- frozen in fear.

"Uh, thanks Star," said Robin, clearly forcing back a gag reflex caused by the sight (and smell) of her 'delectable' dish. "Maybe we should just go out for pizza?"

* * *

><p>Later that night, after an afternoon in town, the titans- tired- all proceeded to retreat to their rooms for the night. Upon entering the main lobby, Robin stood and watched his team complete their typical rituals before turning in. He looked around and smiled at the usual four faces he had grown accustomed to, he then looked toward the observation windows and saw the reflection of a shadow climbing towards the roof. Slowly he followed the shadow's trail until he reached the roof; sitting at the edge he found her, sitting silently, enveloped in the light of the moon.<p>

At first, he proceeded to walk toward the lonely girl, intent on sitting at her side and supplying whatever form of comfort was needed, but then something made him stop. He thought back on the day, back to the night they met; the first time he encountered this strong, self-servant, determined being. He stared at her figure in the light of the full moon, trying his best to imagine what it must have been like, everything she'd been through, what it must have been like today; to look _him- her father-_ in the eye and do what she had done- what she had to do. While his bruises would heal and the memories would eventually fade, he knew as well as she that- for her- it wouldn't be as easy. Such a transition would take time, a time best spent amongst those who were- are- willing to help. Smiling, he walked forward and silently sat down beside her. Without a single exchange of words or looks the two sat in silence and looked out at the moon; no words were needed, as they shared the silent night sky with one another, teammates, partners, friends- now and forever.


End file.
